Amaryllis are an alternative rock band from London. Formed in 2012, they have built their reputation on their electrifying live shows, which have seen them become one of the UK’s most prominent unsigned bands. They released their debut album Nova Initium last week, which was recorded earlier this year. It will be interesting to see if they will live up to the hype. The album shows signs of promise with bouncy melodies, but some patchy moments let it down.
‘All We Have’ opens proceedings. It’s a predictable rock track reminiscent of You Me at Six. The vocals feel under produced and bland, and while the chorus is bouncy it doesn’t redeem things. ‘Basement’ is better because it captures a summery vibe with distinctive riffs. The overlapping vocals towards the end are a nice touch, flowing straight into ‘Drown’. This track encapsulates what Amaryllis are all about: insanely infectious melodies and choruses. The driving guitars will get stuck in your brain, while the lyrics could be about frustration and anxiety: “take me away, I don’t wanna be me anymore”, where you can feel the honesty and conviction.
‘Hold On’ is slightly repetitive, but the rocky breakdown should make this track a highlight at their live shows. The lyrics “don’t lose sight on what you want” are inspirational and hit home with the listener.
Nova Initium isn’t without its fair share of filler though. ‘Initium’ just plods along, the chorus is uninteresting and the instrumentation isn’t groundbreaking. On the other hand, the heavy power chords in ‘Nova’ bring a darker undertone, and the delayed effect on the guitar shows they can add original elements to their music, and it works well.
Over the course of Nova Initium, it’s clear that Amaryllis are influenced by Chevelle and Deftones. They wear these influences on their sleeve, and the final two tracks, ‘Rain’ and ‘Thorn’ are exhilarating. The instrumentation in the former track is beautiful; the lead guitar sounding huge and built for a stadium, but the breakdown in the latter track helps them stand out. It’s a great way to end the album and although Nova Initium isn’t perfect, it should help them gain a strong enough fan base in the alternative rock scene.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos